Perfect Harmony
by A113 Cowgirl
Summary: A collection of my tipo drabbles, ficclets and oneshots. Close-to-canon and true to the films only, mostly scenarios I could actually see DW doing. Written with the love and care of an author who holds this pairing as a long-time OTP. Romance and senseless fluff guaranteed.
1. Playing Favorites

I get a good amount of requests to write Tipo drabbles/ficclets/oneshots on tumblr, so I figured I'd organize them here. If you want updates, drop a prompt or request in the reviews or PM me.

 **Playing Favorites**

 _(Set: between KFP2 and 3.)_

"Seriously, hand made?" Monkey asked once again. The Five were gathered around the worn dining table of the training hall, settling down for supper after a long day's training.

"Yep. Took me about a full year to do all of 'em," Po answered as he distributed the various meals to his fellow warriors.

"I just can't believe you went to that much effort, how intense of a fan were you?" Mantis poked fun at him with a laugh. Po snorted and rolled his eyes good-heartedly.

"Apparently intense enough to graduate from 'fan' to 'personal chef.'" He chided and took his usual seat aside Tigress. He handed her a plate of noodles and received a thankful nod.

"Oh, Po, you know you're much more valuable to us than just your cooking." She said enticingly. "You also fight off the occasional deranged peacock." Tigress joked with a sideways look at him. He returned her smirk.

"I say we should all be flattered by your dedication, Po." Viper amended the teasing of her peers, although she didn't hide her obvious amusement. "So which of us was the hardest to make?"

Po pondered for a moment. "Hmm, gosh, it was so long ago…I think yours, Crane. Tons of intricate detail."

"Yet you seem to only carry the Tigress one with you in your travels." Monkey remarked, raising an eyebrow as he slurped his soup.

"You know I love you all equally." Po corrected.

"I dunno, Po. I feel pretty favored, with all my 'intricate detail.'" Crane said, and laughter arose from the group.

"Nope, equal as can be." Po said, passing them a bowl of buns. With the others distracted by the food, Po leaned over to Tigress.

"Don't worry, you're still my favorite." He whispered to her, as if concerned she'd actually been insulted. She rolled her eyes and chortled.

"As if I ever doubted." and they shared a discreet grin over bean buns.


	2. Home

WARNING:mild Kung Fu Panda 3 spoilers below. Read at your own risk.

 **Home**

 _(Set: Directly after KFP3)_

While there wasn't much of a palace left anymore, portions of the Palace Grounds remained intact and were able to be used for public Kung Fu classes. Classes which were being taught by the ever-jubilant and now ever-wise Dragon Warrior. The Five were happy to assist him in leading the first of the classes after defeating Kai, which doubled as a celebration for the whole Valley.

As the crowd died down and migrated towards the town for further festivities, the Five lingered behind to answer questions and show every last guest out. (and away from dangerous training props.) At last, after the last of the confetti was fluttering to the floor, Tigress began to make her way out before she was interrupted.

"Ti, Ti!" A bumbling pudge of a panda called as she tottered towards the Jade Palace master. She turned to greet her.

"Hello there, little warrior." She said warmly through a smile. Tigress scooped up the toddler and held her against her chest, facing her.

"I did kung-fu!" Lei Lei boasted to her idol. "I watched you and I did the kung-fu!" Tigress chuckled.

"Did you?" She asked, beginning to make her way toward the shop.

"Mmm-hmm! Me and Bao!" She beamed as if she had saved China singlehandedly. Tigress couldn't help but be charmed by her young pride.

"I'm sure you were _very_ good. Did you learn anything?"

"I learn… ooh! I learn the side punch!" She promptly demonstrated such punch, nearly smacking Tigress's cheek in the process. Flaming arrows were one thing, but Tigress quickly learned that her reflexes were no match for the tiny fists of an enthusiastic toddler.

"Very good!" Tigress smiled proudly. Lei Lei giggled, absolutely giddy over Tigress's praise. She threw her arms around the tiger's neck and hummed happily as Tigress carried her into the village below. Lei Lei carried on talking about the kung fu lesson and how funny the people here looked how she wanted to be _just_ like Tigress the entire trip down the stairs. Normally, the tiger master would have bounded down the massive flight of stairs in a few leaps. She was much faster on all fours, and it was very convenient with how often she was going into the village these past few years. But with a precious little life in her arms, she didn't dare risk it for the sake of convenience. Besides, who wouldn't want to listen to all that Lei Lei had to say?

The two made it to the bottom of the steps at long last. Full of spectators and friends alike, albeit a slightly smaller crowd than earlier, the celebrations continued. The Valley of Peace was seeing more pandas within its borders than ever before. Tigress carried her new shadow into the familiar old Noodle Shop, where a good amount of pandas were gathering food and the remainder of the Five had already arrived. Mouthwatering scents wafted from all around, and Lei Lei ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the interesting new dishes around them.

Mr. Ping rounded the corner of the kitchen with wings full or hot food and caught sight of the two entering. "Ah, Master Tigress! Glad to have you here." He greeted. "With the rest of you here already, I figured you wouldn't be far behind, I have your usual waiting for you in the window." He tottered around her, balancing an impressive number of bowls and plates on his small arms.

"Thank you, Mr. Ping. Much appreciated. Could I get a few bean buns for her?" Tigress gestured to the panda in her arms with a nod of her head. Lei Lei smiled at the old Goose.

"Of course, of course! On it's way!" and he waddled off. Tigress made her way her and the Five's usual table.

"You've never eaten until you've had Mr. Ping and Po's cooking, little one." She said as she took her seat on the bench, setting Lei Lei on her lap. She looked intrigued.

"Po's a cook?" She inquired, eyes wide.

"Oh yes, only the best the Valley has ever seen!" Tigress poked her in the belly and earned a high-pitched giggle.

"Do I hear someone bragging about my cooking?" A bowl was set on the wooden tabletop. Tigress glanced up to see a smiling dragon warrior.

"Not if it does that ego any further damage." She responded coyly.

"Po, Po! Hi Po!" Lei Lei chimed happily.

"Hey, kiddo! D'you go to the class today?"

"I did! Ti taught me kung-fu!" She bragged again.

"Did she? Tell her to teach me sometime." He teased. Lei Lei giggled.

"Three mild bean buns for the bean bun and one spicy noodle soup for-"

"Oh, and I forgot to say-" Po cut her off and took a seat at her side.

"With extra sauce on the side." He produced a small sauce dish and put it next to her bowl.

"Yummy yummy!" Lei Lei dove into her meal, raining crumbs into Tigress's lap. Not that she minded. Po and Tigress took their dishes into their hands, facing the festivities in the restaurant. Monkey and Viper were making conversation with a few pandas, and Mantis was playing with a group of children. Crane was plaing Mahjong with some of the new neighbors. And if you squinted your eyes and looked closely, you could almost see Shifu smiling as he assisted Mr. Ping with serving the food.

"This place is always so…warm." Tigress commented, reveling in the heat in her paws from the soup.

"Yeah. Like I said, here will always be home." Po responded. "Well, here and the Palace and now the Village." She nodded in agreement.

"I'd have to say I agree." She commented. He spared her a glance.

"Really? The Village, too?" He asked. She nodded again.

"Well, I can't say I'd pack up and move there, but…I've made my connections." She ended the sentence with a loving look down at Lei Lei, who had finished her meal and was now settling into Tigress's lap. Po looked back up at Tigress, who was smiling down at the baby panda with a contentness he rarely saw from her. Suddenly, he realized Tigress hadn't been merely tolerating the tiny girl since they'd met. She seemed to be enjoying the company just as much.

"You two sure get along well." He smiled when she met his eyes, holding the contact and noticing her slight smirk.

"She's so full of life. She wants to learn so genuinely, wants to become something. And she's certainly unique, unlike anyone I've ever met." She paused. "Well, save for one." Po raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Save for who?"

"Oh, another enthusiastic, kung-fu loving panda that appeared a few years back. Also has a fascination with dolls made in my image. Same appetite, too. Countless similarities." She grinned coyly and looked straight ahead at the scene in front of them. Po laughed at her comparison.

"Okay, okay I see your point. You attract pandas." They sat in companionable silence for a moment, before Lei Lei yawned just audibly enough for them to notice. Tigress handed Po her now empty bowl and gathered her in her arms, allowing her to cuddle into the folds of her clothing and begin to drift off. Po couldn't look away from Tigress's adoring gaze at the drowsy child in her lap, and he felt beyond blessed to see this side of the deadly warrior.

He sighed contently and draped his arms onto the tabletop behind them.

"Life is good, Ti. Life is Good." She nodded, looking up at the Five and Po's newly extended family scattered throughout the restaurant, safe and happy at long last.

"Couldn't agree more."


	3. Means of Survival

KFP3 AU in which Tigress wasn't holding Lei Lei when Po made the big sacrifice. Recommended soundtrack for reading: _Portrait of Mom,_ Kung Fu Panda 3 Soundtrack.

 **Means of Survival**

 _(Set: During KFP 3)_

"You're right, I can't send you there." She was surprised to see him rise to his feet after taking such a fall. "But I can take you there." In an instant, he was coiled around Kai's neck, his finger locked in his own hold. Her heart stopped beating. Her blood ran cold.

 _A canon shot. Her own voice screaming his name in desperation, the sound of metal hitting metal. His body shattering the wooden wall behind him._

He was going to suicide bomb Kai. Take his own life to make up for the danger he had put them all in. The danger she had made him feel guilt for. " _No_ -" She breathed, lunging forward.

 _The strike of Shen's claw against the fuse of his canon. Again, her voice calling his name. This time, a warning. The canon blast. His life, almost lost again. Because of her._

 _"No!"_ She pounced forward, onto Kai.

"Skadoo-" Her hand swatted his own out of his hold, taking it's place. In a flash, all three of them were gone. Reality faded around them, and as it did she barely made out his voice frantically shouting her name.

Her senses returned to her slowly. First, sound. A melodic, ambient hum filled the air. Touch. A hard ground below her. Finally, sight. A warm, golden glow. Kai, fortunately not in sight. She looked around her, taking in the heavenly scenery. Everything had an aura to it, including the peach tree next to her. Suddenly, a cough brought her attention to the ground.

"Po?" She crouched to help him up. Slowly, he rose, holding his forehead and pinching his eyes shut.

"Auugghh…" Ge groaned, before gasping with wide eyes.

"Tigress!" He grabbed her shoulders frantically. He looked terrified, and she could see just a hint of anger in his wild eyes. "Why did you do that?! Why would you get yourself… get yourself…" His eyebrows scrunched together in shock and despair.

"Me? What about you!" She shook his hands from her upper arms. "You killed yourself!" She ejected, not gently. "How could you do that, Po?! You're the dragon warrior! You have duties to uphold," her voice was almost a growl. "And more importantly people that need you! Your fathers _need_ you! Shifu, the Five! What were you thinking?!" Her entire upper body was threateningly in his face. Though anger radiated from her, he didn't shy away.

"But why would you try to take my place? Now we're both gone, it was supposed to just be me! _You_ were supposed to _live_!" He scolded. She paused in her erratic scene. He could just barely make out tears in her eyes.

"No, _you_ were!" She shouted, jabbing a finger at him accusingly. "You're the one that's needed, Po!" Suddenly, the tension within her died, and she wilted to a saddened state. "That's why… that's why I tried to take your place." Her eyes dropped to the ground, saddened. "I thought it would take me, instead. But I failed… I failed to protect you, Po." She inhaled. "I'm sorry."

He loosened his tense stance, staring at the heartbroken tiger before him. She held her gaze at the ground, looking and feeling defeated.

"Tigress…" He lifted an unsure hand to comfort her.

"I'm supposed to protect you. I'm supposed to keep you safe. I failed you in Gongman, and I failed you now. And you're suffering the consequences of my insufficiency." A beat of silence passed.

"You sound a lot like my dad, you know." He said soothingly.

"What?" She looked up to meet his eye.

"He wanted me to put my own safety above everyone else's, too. But Tigress, I'm the Dragon Warrior. It's my job to be, you know, sacrificing. That's what I do." He reached out to place a hand on her arm. "But not what you should do. I'm supposed to protect you too, you know. And everybody else."

"But Po, you deserve to live. You deserve to fulfill your destiny, and be all that you can be. Look at how far you've come in just a few short years! There's so much more ahead of you!" She proclaimed. Then her tone dropped. "At least, there was."

"I fulfilled my destiny. I'm happy with my life, and I'm okay with how it ended. I just… regret it had to take yours, too." When she raised her eyes to meet his, she could see he was grieving her even though she stood mere inches from him. The moment held for what seemed like forever, before she wrapped herself around his neck, and held him in an embrace. One that had all the same tenderness as when she held him in Gongman jail.

"Po, you are the best thing that could have happened to the Jade Palace. And to Shifu, and to the Five, and to myself." Though surprised at her rare affection, he wasted little time returning her embrace. It felt relieving, somehow, to wrap his arms around her form. Like a breath of fresh air.

"Thank you, Tigress." She squeezed him a little tighter. They clung to one another for perhaps an eternity.

"I see you have found the eternal peach tree." A familiar voice called from behind them. Instantly, they separated and gasped. The wise old turtle stood hardly behind them, a content expression on his old features.

"Master Oogway!" They proclaimed in unison. Tigress immediately dropped into a respectful bow to her grandmaster. The old turtle smiled from where he stood at the trunk of the tree.

"Ah, my students. What brings you to my realm?" The all-knowing master asked. Po and Tigress glanced at one another.

"We stopped Kai, Oogway. Just like you knew we would." Po said in a bittersweet tone. Oogway smiled proudly. Tigress noticed, not for the first time, how he used "we" when speaking of his own accomplishments.

"Good, good. I had no doubt that you could, Dragon Warrior and Lotus Tiger." They smiled at him half-heartedly.

"Master, I regret to tell you, Kai has dishonored your legacy. The Jade Palace is destroyed, as is your memorial. The wisdom you left behind for the next generations, it's gone." Tigress announced sadly. Oogway only smiled and shook his head.

"It is only the lives that those earthly things touch, that matter. It is the lives that have studied that wisdom, that will keep it alive." Oogway soothed. Po and Tigress glanced at one another yet again, pleased to hear his forgiveness.

"But too many lives have been lost this day." Oogway interrupted them. "Since you brought yourself here, you also have the ability to bring yourself back." The two gasped simultaneously.

"Master, that can't possibly…"

"You mean we can live? _SWEET_. Oh man, Shifu is going to flip out! Oh my god, this is going to be a story for the history books!" Po rambled giddily, and scooped Tigress up in a celebratory, spinning hug. She smiled broadly, partially from relief and partially over the Dragon Warrior's excitement. Foreheads pressed together, they laughed and spun in delight.

"So, so how does it work? Do I like, Wuxi us again?" Po asked as he put her back on the ground. "Or, or does she do it to me this time?" Po spoke with his hands, demonstrating every possibility of their return. Oogway raised a finger to speak. Po gasped. "Will we appear in a cloud of smoke? _Will there be confetti?!"_

" _Po."_ Tigress warned.

"Actually, Dragon Warrior, I'm afraid only the one who brought you both here may return." Oogway announced. Suddenly, Po's excitement drained from him.

"What?"

Oogway looked somber. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I was unclear earlier. Po, only you may return."

Po and Tigress looked to one another, staring in shock.

"No, no I'm not leaving you here." He said, appalled. He took a step backwards, away from her.  
"Po, you have no choice, I don't have the ability to leave." She said solemnly, stepping toward him.

"Master Oogway, there has to be some way-" But when he turned to seek the wise old turtle, he had disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. How convenient.

"Po, listen to me." Tigress took his hand in hers. "You have to go back. Your family needs you." The way she was looking into his eyes as if she were trying to send a thought directly into his head reminded him of when she had done the very same in Gongman jail.

"They need you too!" He begged. She shook her head.

"Having you back is better than having us both dead. A lot better." The use of the d-word sent chills down his spine. "Please, Po. Please live for me."

"Tigress, I can't go back without you." His voice was desperate. "If I leave you here, I will never forgive myself."

"Well, I've already forgiven you. I won't be able to forgive you if you stay, though." He collapsed his head into his hands, grief-stricken and afraid.

"I can't, I can't! What am I supposed to do when I get back, huh? How am I supposed to live without you?!" She was silent for a moment

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" He sighed. "I mean, you've been there for years. You're always who I turn to, you're always there to help me, and guide me, and comfort me… I learn from you more than anyone else, and not just kung fu. I learn everything, from _you_. What am I supposed to do without that?" He spoke directly into her eyes. Her frown was empathetic, though she was elated to know how much she had apparently helped him over the years.

"You'll have everyone else, Po. You'll have your fathers, your family, everyone at the Palace."

"But I need _you_. You know, I had kind of thought… over the past year or so, we've been…" He looked up and into her eyes, silently asking her to understand what he was referencing. She sighed.

"Of course we have. And we would have had a lot more ahead of us, too." She smiled warmly. She didn't dare let herself imagine their warm future in that moment, not as it was being ripped away from them. "But there's a lot more ahead of you without me. Please, Po. The greatest honor I could have, would be to see you thrive. That's all I want. Please."

He was silent a moment. She held his hand tighter.

" _Please."_ Then he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Okay." He nodded painfully. "Okay, I will." She smiled proudly. He looked up at her with an agonized expression, then gathered her in a hug again, painfully understanding that it would be their last. They were silent in one another's arms, settling closer every so often.

"Take care of them for me. And yourself, especially." She hummed into his fur. He nodded, warm tears freely falling.

"I promise." He held her tighter.

"And Lei Lei, make sure she's safe and has a home. Even if it means bringing her to the Palace." He nodded again.

"And tell Shifu… tell Shifu that my greatest honor was to have him as a master." She carefully worded. "And a father." She added. The last fraction of Po's heart shattered at the realization that he was taking her from Shifu, too.

"I need to know one thing, before I never see you again." He built up the courage to say. They parted just enough to look at one another. She waited for the question, and saw him struggle to get the words out.

"What's changed, since I first came to the Palace? You hated me so much back then, and now you continually sacrifice yourself for me. Why on earth does the greatest kung fu master in China care so much about someone who took her place by accident?" She smiled half heartedly and put a comforting hand on his cheek.

"Po, you are everything, everything I have always strived to be and then some. Not just the dragon warrior. You're forgiving, you're compassionate, you are always trying to learn. I have never admired anyone as much as you, even Shifu." He smiled at her praise. She smirked. "And besides, there are no accidents." And they embraced for the last time.

"Okay, you need to go back before they start planning a double funeral." She backed away from his embrace, he reluctantly convinced himself to let her go. "I think I have an idea of how to do it." Her hand slipped out of his, gently putting him into the Wuxi Finger Hold. They both stared at their adjoined hands, then met each other's eyes. A moment of silence passed.

"It has been an honor fighting with you, dragon warrior." She announced, finally allowing her own tears to well up in her grieving eyes. "And the greatest honor, to be your friend."

"I'll see you in the next lifetime, Master Tigress. I promise." She pinched her eyes shut and nodded, then smiled at him though she was openly crying. She took a steadying breath, looking at her finger, then back to his eyes. "Okay." She grinned. "Skadoosh." And she dropped her finger. The glowing aura around him returned, and he began to fade. Over the sound of the spiritual realm sending him back home, she could barely make out his voice.

"I love you!"

"I love you, too." And the sensation of his warm, comforting hand in her own, the first sensation she'd felt in those numb hands since childhood, vanished.


	4. Reconstruction

**Reconstruction**

 _(Set: post-KFP3)_

"Evening, dragon warrior." Tigress chimed with a very feline grin as she rounded the entryway to the scroll room, still being repaired from Kai's attack. Po smiled at her presence, openly so she'd see she was welcomed. He had an armful of scrolls in his left arm, and one in his right hand. The Five had been donating a lot of their time to clean-up efforts since Kai's defeat, a lot of which included scrounging for surviving scrolls and slowly re-organizing them into the many shelves. Po and Tigress had been doing so together almost every evening. Not for any ulterior purpose, of course. Just for the sake of scrolls. The private, quiet moments doing so provided them were just an unintended bonus.

"Evening, Ti." He said warmly. She gave him a sideways, questioning smirk as she gathered a handful of scrolls from the "unsorted" pile and took her place by his side to begin their work.

"'Ti', huh? I don't recall approving this nickname." She teased. He shrugged.

"Think of it as a shortening. I think it fits you." He justified. She nodded quietly. There was a beat of silence as they organized.

"If you say so, _little lotus."_ He stopped short and almost dropped a scroll. She grinned to herself at his reaction.

"Okay, did my dad tell you that?" He turned to face her. "C'mon, spill. How'd you know?" He smirked. She returned his playful tone and expression.

"No, your other dad did. Li and I had a nice chat before we left the village." She turned back to her work. "He's a wonderful man, Po. Take it as a compliment when I say you take after him in a lot of ways." She reached up to place a scroll on a high shelf.

"You think so, huh?" He smiled and handed her another. "So… what'd you guys talk about?" He questioned nonchalantly. She answered honestly and without hesitation.

"You. Shen's attack. Kung fu. Shifu. How you got to be where you are now. We covered a lot of topics." She left out his comment on how Po was " _so lucky to have found someone who completes him so perfectly_ ," and especially how she had thanked him rather than corrected him. Po nodded, accepting this answer.

"Yeah, he said he likes you. Like, a lot." Po mused aloud. She grinned. "He's been talking about you a lot. Well, more than he talks about the others, at least."

"I'm flattered to have made a good impression." She scrutinized another scroll.

"Yep." He hummed casually. " _Like father, like son_ , I guess."

"Guess so, little lotus."


	5. Muscle Memory

Another oneshot in which I use all of the missed opportunities for tipo development in Kung Fu Panda 3.

 **Muscle Memory**

 _(Set: During KFP3.)_

"Tigress, tahlia leap!" Po shouted as he ran past her, warding off a handful of jade zombies as he did. She complied, tossing an oblivious and laughing Lei Lei into the air above her. A swift kick knocked a jade warrior to the ground, and she caught Lei Lei mid-leap. She turned to fight off another batch of them, and just barely heard Po's distant "Nice!" She automatically grinned at his never-ceasing compliments. Lei Lei cheered her on as well, making elated sounds and motions from Tigress's arm.

It was almost looking good, this life or death battle. They seemed to actually have the upper hand, Po's plan had, to her surprise, seemed to be proving successful. Maybe mastering chi wasn't the-

Taught, forceful chains wrapped around Tigress's torso with a loud CHINK. Lei Lei was thrown to the ground, and she wailed as she rolled away from her protector. Tigress fell.

"Lei Lei!" Tigress shouted desperately, caring more for the child's safety than her own.

A dark chuckle arose from behind where she lay trapped.

 _Oh no._

"Guess I missed one, when I was transforming the great Furious Five into my _slaves_." Kai's voice purred out of her vision. He pressed one foot into her back, not gently. The chains around her tightened as he gave them a firm yank upwards, keeping her pinned to the ground with his foot. Tigress yelped through clenched teeth.

He drew close to her ear, his hot breath in threatening proximity.

" _Kill him for me, kitten."_ He whispered. The chains fell to the ground, and he left her.

 _"Po."_

Po turned from his work to see her struggling to escape from the constriction. He gasped.

"Tigress!" Suddenly the jade zombies he'd been fighting were forgotten, and they trailed after the panda running toward her.

Slowly standing and gasping for her breath, she glanced down at her form. Her heart sunk. Her limbs were hardening to jade.

"Oh, no-" Her voice was breathy- soft, almost. She stared in horror at the evil creeping along her body. Her head whipped up, wide eyes seeing Po fumbling toward her with a terrified expression, eyes on hers. Terrified, for her. For her safety. The jade's progression sped up as it reached her neck.

"Po, run! Run! Get away from me!" She cried. Only her eyes were still herself. Her expression was horrified, and heartbroken.

"Tigress!"

Her instinctive urge to protect him battled with the horrifying realization that she was the danger. She was, for the first time, helpless to save him.

"RUN!" She bellowed, though it sounded as if she were begging. Her hand was outstretched, reaching for him. Her free will was draining, and she felt as if she were fainting. The panic surrounded her. The jade filled the gap around her eyes just as he reached her.

He reached out to hold her, to help her in some way. Her green form whipped in a lightning fast spin, knocking him to the ground with a loud growl. He skidded to a stop, and put a hand to his strangely wet side. It returned red.

She had struck with her claws. He stared dumbstruck at his blood-dampened hand, heartbroken at the thought of it. In all the years Po had had Tigress in her life, he had not once seen or heard of her using her deadly claws. It was against some unspoked vow of hers, to never use them in battle. And she never had. Not once when Shifu pushed her to her limits, not once in all of the hours they'd spent sparring late into the night. Not even to snip a string in half. But now they were out, and had been in his skin. This was not Tigress.

Her face was twisted into a deadly snarl, teeth bared and eyes glowing. She approached him.

"Ti!" A desperate cry came from behind Po. He rolled over to see Lei Lei, sobbing and covered in dirt. He stumbled to his feet and ran from his best friend, stooping to grab Lei Lei as he ran.

"Ti!" She wailed in protest, looking over Po's shoulder and reaching her arms toward the jade Tigress. Her screams and sobs broke Po's heart even more somehow.

"Shh, it's okay! We just have to get you away from her right now, okay?" He comforted her as he ran. He caught Tigress bounding after them on all fours out of the corner of his vision.

" _I want Tigress!"_ She screamed, wiggling in his grip. He winced at the desperateness in her little voice. A loud growl roared from behind them.

"Me too, sweetheart. Me too."

Miraculously, Li rounded a corner a few feet ahead of them.

"Dad!" Po cried, sprinting toward him. He swiftly pried Lei Lei off of his shoulder and shoved her into his father's arms, not pausing in his stride.

"Take her and hide!" He called back at him.

"What's going on?! Son!" Li's voice was lost in the roar of their chase. Fearing for his life, Po ran faster than he knew he could. She snarled again, and lashed out at him.

"Augh!" He shouted in pain. Her claws had ripped at his ankle.

Suddenly, the terrain below his feet was wooden. She had chased him back onto the wooden deck they had sparred on days earlier, preparing for what should have been a battle they fought together. He stopped, cornered. He turned to see her still on all fours, blocking his every exit. She had him trapped.

"Ti, listen," He held out his palms, as if to keep her away. She rose to her feet, sundering toward him with her usual grace. "Tigress, please. Please, I need you to win this. We have to take down Kai, we have to protect the village. Can you hear me?" With a dead expression aside from furrowed brows, she approached him and raised her paw. Her claws were extended to strike.

Amazingly, he blocked her as he had a million times before. Immediately she was striking again, tripping him, locking him. They fell into the rhythm of their spar, and Po thanked the heavens that they had done this so many hundreds of times that fighting her had become second nature. The muscle memory fighting for him allowed him to speak as he defended himself.

"Tigress, listen to me. I know you can hear me, come on," His forearm caught her striking palm. Her punches were harder. She attacked him without reading him, as she normally did. This time, she wasn't sparring with him to learn from him and to teach him. Her blows were meant to kill.

"Tigress, you'd never hurt me, you've given your life to protect me, this isn't you!" They were face to face. He looked into her once-warm eyes, but found only piercing fury. The drastic difference distracted him for only a millisecond, but it was long enough for her to throw a double-palmed shove at his stomach. He was sent flying backward, slamming into the training dummy he'd constructed. Part of it crumbled under impact and fell onto him. Bruised, he rose barely in time to block her.

"Please, Tigress, you have to fight this! You're so strong, I know you can!" She kicked his side hard enough to make him shout. "Come on, Ti, you're my best friend." He begged.

Suddenly, a last-hope idea came to him. Muscle memory.

He took a steadying breath, and in between her punches, he put her into a lock. Her least favorite one, at that.

"Remember this? Shifu taught me last summer, and you hated it when I tried it on you when we sparred that night." She snarled threateningly and broke out of his hold, twisting his arm backward in response. He winced, but carried on. He kicked her locked knees and threw her backward onto the ground.

"How bout this, remember when you taught me that? You were loving the excuse to throw me around, and I-" He was cut off by her furious punches. He backed up, prepared for the worst, and extended his arm. His elbow locked, and he opened his pal to welcome her harsh blow. When he caught her fist in his soft palm, she actually paused. Froze, more like. There was a deafening moment of silence amidst the loud war between them.

"What about this, huh? Remember the first time we sparred? Remember you blocked everything I threw like this?" His tone and expression were determined. Angry, almost. "Remember the boat to Gongman? Remember just three days ago, remember how you do this to me all the time? How you use this to shut me up so you can tell me something?" His face and voice softened, as did his hand, now closing around her crystalized fist. Her face was still expressionless. "Remember the harbor?" He held her hand tenderly to emphasize his point, recalling how she'd told him that his holding her hand as they floated in the harbor was the first sensation her palm had felt in decades. How shocked and thankful she had looked during that peaceful conversation, cradling the hand in question in her other palm and staring at it. How she'd looked up to meet his gaze with a look of gratitude. How intensely warm her eyes had looked. How he took her cue to provide that long-lost sensation again.

"Come on, Tigress, you gotta come back to me." He begged. "I can't do this without you."

He locked eyes with her once again, praying that his tactic would work. There was utter silence, and eventually those familiar eyes relaxed ever so slightly. His heart raced. Her hand wove into his.

"Yes! I knew you-"

Her jade claws slashed his cheek before he could finish.


	6. I Almost Lost You

Writing prompt: include the dialogue "I almost lost you"

 **I Almost Lost You**

 _(Set: Anytime after KFP2)_

The worst part, somehow, was the fact that he could hear her ribs crack as the cannonball struck her torso. As fast as the world was moving in that moment, and as much as everything else was such a blur, somehow time stood still as his best friend took a bullet for him. He had hardly come to the realization that she had pushed him out of the path of Shen's attack before it hit her. A chorus of cracks, crunching, and yelps of pain brought his world to a grinding halt.

 _Crunch_. Her face before the impact looked so determined. Proud, almost.

 _Crunch_. Her body collapsed on itself as if it had snapped in half. He hadn't known that she was that flexible, or maybe she wasn't.

 _Crunch_. Her voice, that tender voice that had comforted him for years, the voice that sounded heavenly when it laughed, that precious voice curled into a sickening cry. " _Augh_!" The way she said it almost sounded like the kiais she purposely called out in combat and training. Maybe she was as just as focused now as she was then.

Crunch. _Crunch_. **_Crunch_**.

The worst sound he'd ever heard in his lifetime played over and over in his tortured mind, and it was getting faster. Louder. More painful. He begged it to stop, he begged time to stand still just long enough to stop that wretched cannonball from taking his whole world away from him.

"Po?" Tigress's voice brought him back to the present moment, sitting at her side at the peach tree's base. She looked at him attentively, a hint of concern in her eyes that only he would be able to detect. "Did you doze off?"

Startled and shaken by the repetitive dream, he took a steadying breath. "Yeah, a bit. I'm good, I'm good. Where were we?" She grinned and closed her eyes again.

"Core balance." She reminded him with a private smile, amused at his forgetfulness. "Remember your breathing pattern, and try not to fall asleep." He mimicked her position again, desperately trying to focus on the task at hand. Her palm rested atop his tense hand, gentle and comforting.

"Focus, I almost lost you." She said absentmindedly.


	7. Habits

More shameless, slightly OOC fluff.

 **Habits**

 _(Set: past the point of canon/far past KFP3.)_

"Move _over_." His words were muffled with sleep.

"You move over." Hers were barely a mumble.

"It's _my_ bed."

"I blame you for the lack of elbow room, big fat panda." She teased sleepily. The retired insult had become a term of endearment coming from her. More of an appreciation than an insult, really. The room in his tiny guest house at the panda village was just barely illuminated with the glow of dawn, color stained rays beamed through small cracks in the bamboo shades.

Their decision to pay his birth father a visit had turned into quite the relaxing getaway, albeit the less-than-substantial sleeping arrangements. The bed was hardly big enough to support him, much less the addition of Tigress. He had pushed her off of the bed at least three times that he knew of that night, perhaps more if she had gotten back in bed without him waking. She would do that, too. It was in her character to accept whatever inconveniences being in his presence brought, so long as she could remain in his presence.

"I've told you before," he argued, flopping over and tossing his freed arm over her drowsy form. "it's THE big fat panda." Her eyes remained closed through her small chuckle, and she snuggled into his embrace. The more intimate position gave them appropriate room on the small bed.

"Well then THE big fat panda needs to let his wife sleep longer." She hummed into his soft-breathing chest. Her arm snaked around his torso, hugging him closer, almost protectively. He yawned and rested his head atop hers.

"Whatever happened to your old saying… 'your first task of the day is to beat the sun to training'…or whatever…" his voice clogged with drowsiness as he continued. She smiled more at the fact that she found it cute than at the act itself. And also because his quotation was a mile off.

"That was before I knew how blissful sleeping in could be. The warmth of a big, soft panda tends to keep you in bed later in the day." She nuzzled against him to prove her point. He squeezed her in response.

"Apparently. You sleep in as much as I do these days." He commented. "Becoming as much of a panda as I am, Ti. No training required."

"Hmm, well I suppose it's only appropriate, as I am part of the family now." The marriage was young enough to still flutter their hearts when referring to it. He smiled, happier than he ever knew he could be.

"Next up is eating like a panda then." He yawned audibly. "But first, let's perfect the napping skill." She caught his contagious yawn and nuzzled her head into his neck, closing her eyes with a content smile.

"If you say so, Master."


	8. Portrait of Mom

Portrait of Mom

(Sequel/follow up to Chapter 3: Means of Survival)

Decades had passed. Ages, maybe. It had been a lifetime since he'd had to leave her in the spirit realm. A lifetime he had spent regretting the moment he'd let go of the hand he'd unknowingly brought back to life, and a lifetime he should have spent at her side. It felt like it had been a lifetime ago, so long ago that the precious memories were blurring and he couldn't remember exactly where the dark dots on her face had lied. And yet, all at the same time, the pain was fresh enough to have been committed yesterday. Her last cry of "I love you too!" was a sound burned into his mind that replayed often. In the end, she had been right. He needed to go back to the living for more reasons than one. She was always right, even when he didn't want her to be. Not a day had passed that he hadn't thought of her, or wondered how she was spending her time in eternity. But years had passed since he'd mentioned her name aloud.

"Dad, is this…is this her?" The soft voice brought the old panda from his daydreams of spars and late night conversations. He gently lifted himself from his seat and meandered over to where Lei Lei stood in the scroll room. His staff had doubled as a crutch in his elder years. Lei lei had matured to be an old soul, much like her mother. She had never lost her spark of curiosity or desire to learn, and her exuberant personality brought joy to the palace in the years she had lived there. Not to mention, being adopted into a family of six kung fu warriors had turned her into quite the skilled master.

Po reached her side, and peered over her tense shoulder to see a crinkled, aged painting in her now tight hands. She stared at the image intently, with awe and an overwhelming sense of longing. When Po recognized the familiar old painting, his heart sunk. A young Tigress, about the age of her death, stood between Po and Shifu at the top of the steps to the Palace. All three were in elegant poses, demonstrating both skill and nobility. And all three held soft smiles on their faces. Po remembered the day it had been done, when the grandmasters of the Jade Palace were to be documented in painting yet again. Shifu had always insisted Tigress be included, as she was the leader of the Five. He recalled how she had been teasing him that day, daring him to pose balanced on one leg as she often did. He had laughed in response, commenting that he'd fall before it was halfway completed. She had promised to catch him. He was tempted to force a tumble just for that purpose.

Po's eyes pinched together, and he silently wished old age wouldn't allow him the flood of memories tormenting him in that moment.

"Is this my mom?" Lei lei gently asked again, as he had forgotten her question. She looked up at his twisted expression. Po nodded.

"Yes, this is… that's your mother." His voice was aged. Lei lei returned her gaze to the portrait and was silent as she took in the image.

"What was she like?" She asked tentatively. Po sighed through a reminiscing smile, looking upward at the ornate ceiling as if he were looking to her. Lei lei turned to face him, her glowing curiosity and empathy unfailing.

"She was the single most dedicated warrior I have ever known," he began, taking a seat to answer her in depth. She seemed pleased, and listened intently.

"She was the most loving person you'd ever meet, always put others before herself. Even complete strangers, she never hesitated. And she was brave, she was so brave." He was almost bragging at this point. Lei lei smiled warmly at her father.

"I've heard she was an amazing warrior." She encouraged him.

"Oh, the best there was. We had some of these combination moves, ha- oh man, I don't know if they were more for fighting or for fun! You shoulda' seen some of the things she could do." Po chuckled and Lei Lei followed suit, but his face soon fell again.

"She was sacrificing. She saved my life more times than I can count, probably more times than I even know of. I owe her so much." Po looked to the ground, almost in regret.

"Did she love me?" Lei lei asked, though she knew the answer. Po smiled again.

"More than you will ever know. I thought I'd seen her open up as much as she possibly could have, until you came along. You made something come alive in her." Po answered honestly. Joyful tears welled in Lei lei's eyes. She gazed at the paper in her hand once again, then handed it to Po to admire as well. He took it in a shaking old hand and cradled it as if it were her hand in his own once again. His eyes rested on her image. The painter had done her well, as her bright eyes were glowing off of the paper. The gentle yet ferocious curves of her face were accurate to life, as was the smile on his young face due to her next to him. His eye trailed left, to the image of Shifu standing beside her. He noticed the unmistakable look of pride on the old master's face as he had presented his top students beside him. A pride that he had made known aloud to Po before he had passed, making Po thankful that Tigress would soon be meeting him in the spirit realm. The thought of her there alone all those years ate away at him, and made him almost long for the day they would meet again as they had promised.

Lei Lei watched the tears form in her father's eyes, and placed a comforting palm on his shoulder. The common gesture was one that mimicked Tigress so much that he was sure she had something to do with it every time that soft paw landed on him.

"Dad?" she asked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just remembering." He smiled and sighed contently, putting his own hand atop hers. He gazed at Tigress's image one last time.

"She was my best friend."

"You must have really loved her." Lei lei commented. It was more of an observation than a question.

"I do, more than anything." He folded the picture again, concealing the bittersweet art within it and looked his daughter in the eye.

"And I'm thankful I have a piece of her with me."


	9. Coming Full Circle

(Set: Post-KFP3)

"She was the total package. Smart, beautiful…she was the love of my life." His father's words had stuck in his head like glue, and he revisited the adoring praise often.

When he was a child, he pictured his mother sometimes as a panda, sometimes as a goose. He mostly pictured her as loving. He envisioned them walking to the market, hand in hand, just as he and his adoptive father had. He pictured her being as bubbly and adventurous as he, always daring to try new things. He saw her as soft spoken and wise, wise beyond her years. He pictured her as warm. As compassionate. As home.

But, she had remained a picture, a picture in his mind. One that he'd always hoped to be able to meet one day, perhaps track her down and search her out. Or perhaps she'd come to find him. He pictured their reuniting moment as tearful, and fulfilling.

But she remained a picture. When he did reunite with his birth father, she was nothing but a picture. A portrait, doting on a smaller version of himself. She was everything he'd always imagined she would be, but she was still just a picture.

"Stripey baby! It broke!" Lei lei's shrill voice stirred him from his thoughts as he slugged down the hallway of the palace barracks. His ears perked up at the sound of the child, before another voice joined hers.

"What did?" hers was as warm and comforting as always. He rounded the corner of Tigress's room, to see the master perched on the side of her bed, with a very unhappy toddler approaching her with outstretched hands.

"My baby!" Lei lei whined, pushing a Tigress action figure toward the model of the toy.

"Oh, no. Let's see what we can do, huh?" Tigress picked up the child and set her on her lap, taking the toy and beginning to tinker with it. One of it's wooden arms had popped off, a repair that Po could have done in seconds, but he dared not disturb. Tigress's eyes squinted in concentration, working the elaborate pieces together safely. Lei lei observed anxiously.

"There! All better." Tigress announced, smiling at the girl and presenting her with her repaired toy. Lei lei's face lit up and all but exploded in relief.

"Thank you! Thank you stripey baby!" two small arms flew around Tigress's neck, pulling her into an enthusiastic embrace. She chuckled and returned the gesture, still oblivious to the panda observing in the doorway. He couldn't look away from her expression; one he'd never seen her wear before. She was grinning so widely, so genuinely happily, that he'd have done anything to have a picture of the moment. She snuggled her chin into the neck of the elated toddler, giving her a tight squeeze before releasing her.

"Why don't you go get the Po figure, and we can play with them together?" She suggested to the child.

"Okay!" Lei lei bolted off and out the door, with Tigress's gaze following her trail and landing on Po.

"Hi cuddles!" Lei lei called as she bustled past him.

"Hey kiddo." Po answered her fondly, and looked back to Tigress. She smiled warmly at him, she seemed to practically be glowing.

"So, how's motherhood treating you?" He was only halfway kidding. She hadn't adopted Lei lei yet, but it was darn near close.

"Very, very well." Her voice was tender, and her face was content. She was warm, and soft spoken, and compassionate.

And she was everything Po thought she would be.


	10. Support

**Support**

 _(Set: Post-KFP3)_

In the midst of battle, their support for one another showed in subtle yet powerful ways. Guarding one another's backs, using spar techniques as battle techniques, and always looking out for one another's safety.

When he was heading for Shen in the harbor, she made sure to stay consistently at his side, gladly taking care of every wolf that threatened his well being. After losing him once, she wasn't willing to risk that again. And it showed in the ferocity of her blows.

When Kai attacked the village, he was sure to keep him far from her. Both as she fought his Jade Warriors and finally as he sacrificed to take them both to the spirit realm, and far from her. After seeing her arrive to the village already battered by Kai, he wasn't willing to put her in that position again. And it was obvious in how much he was willing to sacrifice for her safety.

Supporting and protecting one another in their practice was second nature to them, easier than looking out even for themselves. They'd both much rather take a hit on their own skin than see the other hurt. But support comes in more forms than tangible.

Po was perched in the meditation grotto, the serene sounds contrasting his clouded, noisy mind. He held Oogway's staff gently in his hands, slowly turning it over and examining it's grainy surface, as if the wood held the answers to his many questions. He sighed discontently, unsure in his new position and responsibilities at the palace. Unsure of his ability to succeed Oogway. And above all, unsure of how his peers saw him now. It was one thing to claim their much-desired title of Dragon Warrior years ago, but an entirely different thing to replace their long-respected and loved grandmaster. _They_ were the ones deserving of all that he had gotten. One of them, in particular.

He groaned and rolled his head backward, eyes closed. A soft hand appeared on his upper back, and he quickly turned to it's source, surprised that he wasn't as alone as previously thought.

"Are you alright?" Her eyes her softer than her touch, a softness he'd never seen her bestow on anyone but himself.

"Yeah just… ya know, thinking." He looked down at the staff forlornly, answering her question. A beat of silence passed. She wrapped her hand around her his own holding the staff. He met her eye.

"Hey, I'm with you, okay?" Her grip tightened on his hand, and she dropped a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Always." His sigh this time was content. He nodded.

"I know."


End file.
